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Cameroon + 2 more

UNHCR Cameroon Factsheet - January 2018

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Cameroon currently has 665,947 people of concern, including 248,926 Central African refugees and 96,283 Nigerian refugees.

Gourenguel transit centre continued to see growing numbers of new arrivals due to upsurge of attacks within Cameroon.

Official launch of biometric registration in Minawao camp on 31 January. All refugee certificates are to be renewed during this exercise.

WORKING WITH PARTNERS

UNHCR coordinates protection and assistance for refugees in collaboration with:

  • Government Partners: Ministries of External Relations, Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Public Health, Women Empowerment and Family, Social Affairs, Justice, Basic Education, Water and Energy, Youth and Civic Education, the National Employment Fund and others, Secrétariat Technique des Organes de Gestion du Statut des réfugiés.

  • Implementing Partners:, Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA), African Initiatives for Relief and Development (AIRD), Agence pour le Développment Economique et Social (ADES), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), FAIRMED, International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), InterSos, International Medical Corps (IMC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Plan International, Première Urgence - Internationale (PUI) and Public Concern.

  • Operational Partners: ICRC, Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA), ASOL and Red Deporte, IEDA Relief, Action Contre la Faim (ACF), Solidarités International and CARE International.

  • UN Agencies: WFP, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UN Women, FAO, UNESCO, IOM, UNDP and UNOCHA.

  • Operational coordination: In accordance with the “Joint OCHA-UNHCR Note on Mixed Situations – Coordination in Practice” the responsibility to coordinate the overall humanitarian response in the Far North has been delegated to UNHCR. UNHCR sectors are utilized to deliver assistance to IDPs and other affected groups. All sectors are operational holding regular meetings. Each sector is led by a Government entity and co-led by UN agencies. There is also a bi-monthly UNHCR-chaired Multi-Sector Operations Team meeting in Maroua, bringing together more than 40 humanitarian partners intervening in the region. The response for Central African refugees is managed in line with the Refugee Coordination Model. Sectorial groups have been established by UNHCR, covering the whole operational area. Local authorities have been very engaged in the management of the refugee operation. At the capital-level, UNHCR leads the Multi-Sector Operations Team for the Refugee Response and the national Protection Working Group, and actively participates in other relevant humanitarian coordination mechanisms and the Humanitarian Country Team.

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS

  • Security incidents in the Far North region increased considerably compared to December 2017; with all three departments, Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone et Chari, concerned. The modus operandi of non-state armed groups has changed whereby fewer suicide attacks are carried out and instead an increase in kidnapping of children, pillaging of homes, setting fire to properties and cattle robbery have been reported. The attacks persist despite the presence of regional military forces. The military operations have however forced the non-state armed groups to disperse and to reconstitute themselves into smaller and more mobile groups along the border; possibly a reason for the increase in attacks (at least an average of 10 a week this month). The security environment has forced the Cameroonian military to also continue carrying out targeted military push back activities. All of this resulting in the additional displacement of Nigerians and Cameroonians along the border which is affecting our protection and assistance response as staff movement has been restricted in certain areas.

  • Within the context of the project partnership agreement between UNHCR and the ILO, “Exploring Public Options for Health Insurance and Health Services Provision for Refugees”, an ILO mission was fielded to Cameroon from 21-30 January. The objective of this project is to bring together the social protection expertise of ILO with the refugee protection mandate of UNHCR in order to seek opportunities and implement integration schemes for refugees into existing national social protection systems. A particular focus will be made regarding health insurance schemes with the aim to allow refugees to access health services at the same level as nationals, through shared risk mechanisms. UNHCR is unable to integrate its health services into the national system without the larger-scale support to the national health system by development initiatives. The mission team will be responsible for developing an in-depth feasibility study to explore options for the inclusion of certain refugee populations, including potential benefit schedules and necessary contribution rates. The mission met with several development donors and agencies in Yaounde before undertaking a mission to Gado refugee site in the East region where they met with refugees, national health authorities and partners.

  • On 25 January, UNHCR hosted a workshop in order to validate the operation’s livelihood strategy 2018-2020. Participants included relevant government authorities, donors, financial and development institutions and partners involved in livelihood projects. The four regions in the country concerned, the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East, have been particularly hit by the continued steady arrival of refugees over the years and have seen their already weak social structures and fragile security environment further affected. UNHCR and its partners elaborated the multi-year strategy to ensure the socio-economic inclusion of refugees with a view of reducing their dependency on humanitarian assistance.

  • Various donor missions took place during the reporting period: the Candadian High Commisioner visited Timangolo refugee site on 17 January where she listened to the concerns of refugees and expressed Canada’s continued solidarity with the refugee response; the Head of the EU Delegation visited Minawao camp on 18 January to obtain a better understanding of the multisector response and assess activities carried out for refugees and their impact. On 29 January, a representative of the Global Issues and Development Branch of the Government of Canada also undertook a mission to Minawao camp to oversee activities implemented and to hear from refugees their most critical needs.